Chasing Dusk
by OtherCalvin
Summary: Being part of the occult comes with it's own set of challenges in the human world, but being a hybrid in the world of the occult presents a world of challenges only few understand. EJ lived his life as normally as he could, but a piqued interest in his existence pulled back the curtains on some of the darkest evils in this world.
1. Chapter 1

To say it was snowy here would be an understatement. It was Alaska after wall. Not even a populated part of Alaska at that, so the portion of landscape currently in my vision was untouched and absolutely breathtaking. A heavy layer of snow blanketed the ground without missing an inch, the only exception being the forests of white spruce trees—which provided a much needed pop of color—and the mountains on the horizon. Even both of those sported heavy piles of snow on top of themselves. The sun was starting to set behind the mountains and it was painting the sky vibrant shades of pink and orange as it descended, the snow reflecting the colors beautifully.

The eight of us were running full speed through the snow, making our way toward the boarder of the Denali National Park. My feet were heavy as we ran. I'd made the poor choice to wear canvas shoes and my feet were freezing.

We'd come up to Alaska for our cousin, Kate's, wedding and we were currently participating in what my family liked to call a bachelor party. At first I thought they were kidding but Emmett got so excited I knew they were serious. I remembered her husband-to-be, Garrett, from early in my life when my mortality was being called into question by his fiancé's sister, Irina. He'd come to meet me and plea on my behalf so that my family—soon to be his own—weren't slaughtered for no reason and I still appreciated that. Even though the purpose of our trip had been to celebrate Kate's wedding, a lot of focus was also going to Tanya, who had finally found a mate for herself.

His name was Fred. He was quiet, but polite and eloquent when he did speak. He has thick, curly blonde hair and towers over most of us. He'll fit in perfectly with Kate and Tanya. His eyes are still a pale crimson tone, starting to be replaced by the golden color the rest of us shared. From the story I got, Fred didn't like interacting with people even as a human so wanting to literally kill them as a vampire made it even more difficult for him; thus making our dietary habits look more appealing. That reclusive behavior manifested as an ability to repel people away from him, similar to Jasper's abilities to induce emotions. If he wanted to be left alone, you'd leave him alone.

As soon as Tanya told Alice she was seeing someone, she saw his face. Fred, despite his knowledge, had been created by a woman named Victoria who apparently had it out for my mom. They were vague with me when it came to the specifics but I'm assuming it was bad. Either way he didn't seem to harbor any ill feelings toward us and the past was the past.

Garrett and Emmett were leading the way as we ran. Fred and Jasper were following close behind them with Eleazar and my grandpa making up the middle. My dad and myself bringing up the rear. They were all faster than I was and my dad was faster than any of them but he was nice enough to hang back with me so I wasn't totally left out.

We came to a tall fence and none of them even hesitated to leap over it, clearing it with no issue. I, however, was not as a strong or as tall so I used it to my advantage. When I jumped, I landed perfectly on the fence and pushed myself off with as much force as I could to launch myself into the dense trees and land between my uncles. I did my best to keep up but I eventually found myself back at a pace beside my dad.

"Nice jump," He offered, adding a laugh to his words.

"Would've been nicer if I could have _at least_ outdone Fred." I complained. He simply laughed again and we continued.

When Fred came to a halt, I was thankful. I think sometimes these people forget how important breathing is to everyone else on the planet. We stopped abruptly and I could immediately smell why. I pushed to the front to get around Emmett's massive body and saw a herd of moose, at least ten grazing in a patch of snow with stubborn grass poking through the surface.

"Shall we?" Eleazar asked, patting his brother-in-law on the shoulder.

"Enjoy yourselves, boys," Garrett encouraged us, his dark hair pulled back into a loose bun that didn't take anything away from his masculinity. "After all… _It_ is a party." I could hear the smirk in his voice.

I wasn't entirely sure what to do. This was my first "bachelor party" and we didn't hunt big game animals like this in Forks very often. Mostly because the biggest animals in our area could tear us apart if they so desired. The rest of the guys, however, needed no further encouragement or instruction. As soon as Garrett's feet kicked up the first bunch of snow, everyone was gone quicker than my eyes could follow. Emmett chose the biggest moose in the arena and pounced, the moose wailing as it was taken down and bitten. Garrett, Fred, and Jasper followed suit with the first moose they came to respectively. Eleazar and Grandpa Carlisle were a little more reserved in their efforts, but they still seemed to be enjoying themselves.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see my dad standing beside me. "I'd hurry," He suggested. "Emmett doesn't take long to move on."

"What do I even do? They're huge!" I knew I could take a moose down if I needed to, but the size of those beasts was still intimidating.

"Let me show you." He nodded toward the clearing and the two of us took off. He was faster than I—shocking, I know—and I studied each move he made. He tackled one of the moose that was making an attempt to flee and brought it to the ground in seconds, sinking his teeth into a clearly visible vein on the downside of its neck.

I looked away from him and chose my target, and went in for the kill. I lunged, my arms not coming close to wrapping around it and we rolled over each other three times before I was on it with my bite secured on its throat. The blood flowed almost endlessly and I wasn't confident in my abilities to finish it off until I felt the blood stop coming. The blood in the moose was richer and almost fresher than the common deer I found myself hunting from time to time. I let the poor animal's lifeless corpse crash into the snow as I stood up from it and looked around. All the moose were dead. There were eight of us and Garrett and Emmett handled the remaining two.

After the hunt, I was far more excited about the evening than I originally planned and found myself thoroughly entertained throughout each segment. Whether or not the excitement I was feeling was legitimate or a la Jasper, I wasn't sure. After the moose, we came across two bears and toyed with each of them equally until Garrett led each of them to early graves. He'd given up human blood for Kate but I got the feeling he still missed the thrill of the kill. Several activities later and we were finally on our way to the Denali coven's home. I was exhausted beyond description.

There house was only two stories but fairly large. It looks like an ultra modern wood cabin. The roof is angular with black metal protection and huge windows make up a good portion of the front. If they were aiming for privacy they got it in this location, but the light shining out of the windows and onto the snow made their house stick out among the barren landscape. There's a stone chimney that comes up about center that matches the garage that sits at the end of their sloped drive way.

The inside was warmer than any of them needed it to be, but I was excited. As we came through the doors, everyone parted to their significant other and I made my way to the fire place without hesitation. My shoes were soaked, as were my socks. I took both of them off and sat only inches from the flame. I knew fire was the one thing that could kill anyone in this house, but as long as no one dismembered me, I'd be fine even if I was set ablaze by a stray spark.

"Did you have fun?" My mother's familiar voice asked me as she sat beside me, putting an arm over my shoulder. Any standard two-year-old would embrace their mother when they're cold, but I wasn't a standard two-year-old and she didn't necessarily offer a warm embrace. I came into the world two years ago but I was physically and mentally in my early teens. Grandpa said guessed fifteen. I'd grown a lot my first few months of life, but process had slowed down a great deal. From what we'd learned from Nahuel and his sisters, I'd reach my physical maturity about five years from now. They all appeared to be in their early twenties.

"Yes," I replied, leaning away from her. "It was a lot of fun, but I'm freezing." She withdrew her arm and hinted a frown, but I think she understood. I felt bad. Even though I was freezing, I took her hand and we laced our fingers together. It was silent in our area of the room, but I was showing her everything I'd just experienced. A short film filled with moose, bears, revelry, and a lot of good-ole-fashioned male bonding.

She laughed when I showed her Emmett fighting with a bear and seem to be struggling until he finally overcame it. "Looks like a good time," She added, kissing my fingers before she stood up. "When you're warmed up enough, Aunt Alice wants you to try on your tux."

I exhaled through my nose but nodded. "She sympathized and went back to stand with my dad in the crowd the stood near the empty kitchen. I stayed on my own for a little while longer. I know it's strange, but I didn't like being around so many couples at once. It just reminded me I was single. Yes, I know, I'm technically _two_ and it would be wrong if I had a significant other at this point in my life, but you also have to consider that when I was physically two, I had the mind of a twelve-year-old. Now that I'm "fifteen", my mind and body are starting to grow in unison. With that development I also became to desire the same things every teenager desires. I want friends, I want a car, I want a first love. I want to experience this part of my life since I wasn't able to properly enjoy what had already passed.

In that moment I felt eyes on me and looked over my shoulder to see who the gaze belonged to. My dad was standing in the kitchen with everyone else but his eyes were on me. They seemed sympathetic. If he was listening as intently as he seemed to be, I hoped he'd gather that I wasn't in the mood to have that conversation right now. It was really quite annoying to never have a moment of privacy. Even in my own thoughts.

I left my shoes by the fire and walked barefoot into the kitchen. The hardwood floor was warm against my feet and I found myself thankful that our cousins enjoyed the same kind of luxuries we did. When I came to stand beside my mother, I came to her shoulder. Her brown hair was hanging lazily yet perfectly at her shoulders. She put her arm around my shoulders and I leaned against her. I'd warmed up to an appropriate temperature so I didn't back away.

The guys were talking about the party and how much they'd enjoyed it. I was content listening quietly until Emmett threw my name into the mix.

"You have seen my little nephew out there," He bragged, his words igniting an excited smile out of Rosalie. I don't think anyone ever really gets used to how beautiful she is. There is no way to do so. "He jumped on a bear that was bigger than _I am_ like it was no problem at all."

Everyone's eyes turned toward me and I wanted to slink into a hole and hide. Family or not, there were too many people looking at me. "It wasn't _that_ big," I added modestly, fidgeting with the sleeve of my sweatshirt. There were a few playful arguments after my statement but the conversation finally dissipated away from me and I was thankful. During the exchange, Aunt Alice had a vision. Her eyes were focused on some disembodied point of interest for brief moment and she then looked at my dad, who was also looking at her. They both seemed to be confused, but not concerned. My dad shook his head at her as if to answer a question only he'd heard and then their attention returned to the group as if nothing had happened. Everyone else was paying attention to Eleazar as he spoke so no one but me seemed to notice the exchange.

After a while the guys ran out of stories and the conversation turned to general small talk. I'd been looking for a break in the conversation but there wasn't one and it didn't seem like there would be one for a while. I spoke in almost a whisper, trying to be quiet enough that only my mom would hear me though I knew that wasn't a big possibility.

"Is there a bed here?" I questioned. I would understand if there wasn't one, given none of them needed to sleep, but I assumed there would be at least one. It was closing in on three in the morning and I was exhausted after tonight's festivities.

My mom looked like she was about to reply but Carmen beat her to it. "We set up a guest bedroom just for you." She informed me, her Spanish accent still audible through her years of speaking multiple languages. "It's the third door on the left upstairs." She pointed to a staircase directly behind me in the next room. "I can show you if you'd like?"

"Please." I nodded, giving a thankful smile. Carmen reminds me a lot of my grandma, Esme, in terms of their personalities. Both of them are endlessly compassionate and equally beautiful. I said goodnight to everyone and followed Carmen up the stairs to the guest bedroom.

It was decorated beautifully. The walls a very light grey that illuminate beautiful under the recess lighting and two end table lamps. The bed is king sized and decorated with my tuxedo for tomorrow. An attached bathroom is visible as soon as you walk in. At some point, my bag had been brought in and placed at the foot of the bed.

I hugged Carmen good night and she left, shutting the door behind her. I exhaled, elated at the thought of finally lying down, and fell face first into the bed. I stayed there for several minutes before deciding I couldn't sleep like this, as much as I wanted to. The mattress was soft beyond description and getting up was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do.

I took off my red sweatshirt and laid it across an arm chair that sat in the corner. My black t-shirt underneath was speckled with tiny balls of fuzz but I ignored them. My pants were the next to go which left me only in my yellow boxer briefs. I got my tooth brush and tooth paste out of my bag and walked across the room to the bathroom. Above the deep sink there is a large circular mirror with a light curled around it. There were gentle bags under my brown eyes and my hair was mess, to say the least. I combed my fingers through it to tame it but gave up halfway through. I was going to bed anyway and it's not like I had anyone to impress.

I replaced the taste of blood in my mouth with spearmint and smiled at myself—a huge, cheesy smile—to make sure I'd gotten all of my teeth. Walking back to the bedroom, I moved the assortment of pillows around and pulled back the sheets before I laid myself down. The mattress embraced me, the heavy blankets swaddled me, and it wasn't long before my eye lids started to weigh themselves down.

I think it's the moments like this that everyone experiences a moment of pure thought. It's the one time we're completely devoid of human interaction and can be alone with ourselves. Tonight my sleepless thoughts found themselves with Jacob Black. I missed him. It wasn't very often that the two of us were apart for more than a few hours and now it had been two days. I was fully aware that he had imprinted on me and that this couldn't be an easy separation for him, but he'd agreed to stay in La Push for the weekend to avoid ruining the weekend for the rest of us. Not that Jake was a burden or an intrusion, but he and our cousins had a tough history. After he and the pack killed Irina's mate, she was furious and wanted to take her vengeance out all of them but Grandpa Carlisle hadn't allowed it to happen. The rest of the Denali clan had made their peace with that, but after Irina's death they didn't want to interact with any of the Quileutes—let alone have them in their home for their wedding—out of respect for their fallen sister. I missed him and wished he'd come but I understood.

In the last few weeks, I'd been helping Jake restore an old Mercedes-Benz 190 SL in his garage and I wondered how much he'd gotten done without me. I wondered what he'd had for dinner. I wondered about everything he'd been doing since I left. I wasn't used to not talking to him and so far I didn't like it.

I was only seconds away from falling completely asleep when I heard the door open. I opened my eyes to see a sliver of light breaking through the darkness with my mom standing in the door way. "Hi," I managed, sounding as tired as I felt.

"Hi," she returned simply, shutting the door and coming to lie beside me.

I rolled over to face her. "What's up?"

"Your Dad said something about you wanting the teenage experience?" She asked, running her cold fingers through my hair.

I stayed quiet. I'll admit, I was a little embarrassed to say it, but I did. I wanted to experience all that I could before my opportunities become limited. I know that I'll forever be partially human, but to what degree? I'm not at all upset that I will have forever with my family, but there is more out there I want to experience. I reached for my mom's spare hand and squeezed, showing her exactly what I meant when my dad over heard my thoughts.

In the scene, I was in the passenger seat of a luxury SUV with four other guys—all of us in football jerseys—laughing and having a good time with the music way too loud. I don't know who they were, but they were my friends in this particular vision. I skipped ahead to a classroom, filled to the brim with students and one teacher lecturing about a nonspecific topic that I wasn't paying too much attention to because I was talking to a girl with long black hair. I cycled through several typical high school scenes and my thoughts began to get away from me. I was more focusing on what I wanted than what I wanted my mom to see.

The final scene looked a lot like the end of _A Cinderella Story_. I was on the football field and scored a game winning touchdown. I pulled my helmet off and walked to the sidelines, where the cheerleaders stood. I was met halfway by an adorable, brunette cheerleader with short hair and strong arms, and we kissed as the rain fell around us. I wrapped my arms around him and… then the scene stopped. I pulled my hand away from my mom's and tucked it closed to my chest.

She didn't say anything for a moment, only continuing to stroke my hair. I never talked to my parents about my sexuality. Ever. It wasn't something I wanted to talk to them about and I certainly didn't want to show them how I felt. I wasn't 100% sure if I liked boys or girls—though I had a good idea—and that wasn't a decision I wanted their advice on making. Jake and I didn't have any kind of romantic connection and I'd never thought about Jake like that. He's been like my brother and that's how I see him. I know, typically, Quileutes and their imprints get married and have a long happy life full of love but Jake and I weren't the typical imprint couple. Nor were we a couple. After what felt like eight years, my mom finally spoke again.

"I'll talk to Carlisle about enrolling you in school, okay?" Thank god she didn't mention anything about the kiss.

"Really?" I think I sounded more excited than I needed to be.

Even in almost complete darkness she was beautiful. Her pale skin was as illuminated like pearls in sunshine and her hair fell in gentle cascades that framed her face and shoulders. We don't look much alike, aside from our hair. From old pictures she's shown me, we definitely have the same eyes, but I look much more like my dad. He and I share a jawline and the same size ears. It's comforting, really, to say you look like your parents when your parents are two of the most beautiful creatures on the face of the planet. "Yes, really." She returned.

I had a million questions about that process. What grade would I start in? What would my locker number be? What would my schedule be? I had every question imaginable, but she didn't have many answers, which was understandable. I moved to give her an awkward, lying down hug and she returned it to the best of her ability before we said our final good nights and she went back downstairs.

The room was quiet and dark again and my thoughts raced at a quicker pace than I could follow. As soon as I thought about one thing, it opened the door to another. I let myself play out several scenarios about how this situation could play out and each one made me happier than the last. My eyes eventually shut and I fell asleep, picturing myself with the blonde, male cheerleader, hand in hand as we walked down a hallway lined with lockers.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning was something of a nightmare, for me. When I woke up, everyone else in the house was getting ready or already finished and I was woken up in the worst possible way. I was happily tucked away under the blankets of the enormous bed I'd been gifted for the evening when Emmett rushed into the room and literally pulled me from my slumber. I felt an icy grasp on my ankles and before I knew what was happening I was perched over his massive shoulders length wise. One of his arms laced behind my knees and the other roped my shoulders, keeping my arms pushed out above my head.

The room blurred around me and I was standing in front of three mirrors. I hadn't had a chance to scream before I was reaching out to balance myself. "Jesus Christ," I huffed, my hand rushing to sooth my shaken head. "What was that about, man?!" I yelled, looking at his reflection in the mirror. He was already dressed with the exception of his blazer. He was smirking, as always, his large arms folded over themselves.

"Time to get ready." He returned, his voice giving away how amused with himself he was.

"A simple, ' _Hey, EJ, time to get up, we gotta get ready_ ' wouldn't have sufficed?" I asked, still trying to process my current position.

"My way's more effective," He promised. He moved again, leaving the room and returning before I blinked, and hung my tuxedo on one of the mirrors. "And make sure you change your boxers, dude. Alice will freak out if she sees your banana panties." He winked and he was gone again.

I looked at my own reflection and felt the blood rush into my face. Immediately my hands moved to cover myself even though he was already gone. "They're not panties!" I yelled out to him, needing that one victory for the sake of dignity.

Shutting the door to the room I was in, I let go of a long breath through my nose. I looked around the large room and it appeared to be set up specifically for getting ready. There large mirrors sat adjacent to each other, giving me a 180-degree view of myself. In the reflection, I could see an open door that lead to a bathroom.

I showered quickly and was in the middle of drying myself off when my aunt pushed through the door of the next room. "EJ!" She sang, her voice was lyrical and her movement was more elegant than a trained ballet dancer. The sound of her heels echoed as she started toward the bathroom. I scrambled to throw the towel from my hair and pressed it against my waist to hide what was not meant for her eyes.

"Dude!" I called out the warning for her to stop but the clack of her heels continued until she was standing in front of me. Her short brown hair looked as beautiful as it always did though today she had styled it different for the wedding. Her nimble legs were caped in heels that would have led me to a neck brace and her dress was simple, yet beautiful. Alice had a way of everything she wore looking like it custom made just for her. She could buy a "World's Best Grandma" t-shirt at any gas station in Washington and make it couture.

"Oh please," She scoffed, leaning in the door frame. "Nothing I have seen before." She chirped, blatantly teasing me. I know I blushed which only made her giggle again. I was about to ask for a little privacy, but she spoke before I could. "You never showed me your tux last night! I need to see it. So hurry up!" She turned on her heels and pranced out of the room again, leaving the door wide open.

"Oh my god," I mouthed to myself. Had I even whispered it, someone would have heard. I wrapped the towel around my waist and shut the door to the room. I managed to get the underwear and shirt on easy enough, but when it came to the pants, I was a bit lost. Were they just normal pants? Of course not! Why would they be? What in my life was normal? Excuse the fact I'm a two-year-old vampire human hybrid about to enter high school and look at the fact I'm getting ready to attend the wedding of a thousand-year-old vampire to a Revolutionary War veteran who only met because an Italian monarchy came to kill my family for my parents conceiving me and question their relationship to a pack of werewolves. But whatever. Average in EJ Land.

The suspenders on the pants were my obstacle. Every piece of this tux, save the shirt, was the same shade of black and everything was blending together. I couldn't figure out what clipped where, what went over what, or anything. I was about to give up and wear jeans when I heard a light knock at the door. I exhaled, no doubt audibly to whoever waited on the other side. "Come in."

The door opened and my dad stepped in. His tux was in place perfectly, no visible sign of struggle. "Need a hand?" He asked, very obviously trying not to laugh at me.

I didn't say anything, simply tugged on the suspenders. He stepped to my side and effortless untangled the mess I'd made of them. I felt the smack of the elastic and he patted me on the shoulder. "Thanks." I offered, relieved that was finally over with.

"What are dads for?" He asked, holding my blazer over his arm.

"This one," I took the jacket. "I can do alone." That may have been a lie, I didn't know. I definitely thought I could put my own pants on but I was corrected this morning.

He smiled at me as I buttoned the suit jacket and smoothed my hands over the front. "It looks nice." He informed me, his hand moving to my shoulder again. His face cracked into a quiet smile and he whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear. "So nice you should brace yourself."

As the last syllable fell from his lips, the door was open again and Alice was standing in a state of awe. She made a high pitched squeak I couldn't decipher as words and moved quicker than my arms could follow to wrap her arms around me. "You look so cute!" She announced loud enough for the entire state to take notice. "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness," She fluttered her hands. I'm convinced if she had the ability to cry she would have. "Don't. Move." She demanded and she flew out of the room, returning with her phone in hand. "Smile!" I heard my dad's quiet laugh again and I did my best to smile like it wasn't fake. I'm not sure how well I did.

The rest of the morning was easy enough. Alice did what she could to make my hair look presentable and we left the house in a caravan of three cars. Alice had apparently been back and forth all night to the venue with the boys, getting it ready for today and when she'd finally finished, she exiled the boys to the house so she and the girls could get ready together at their second home. We took a bevy of back roads I don't think the state of Alaska knows about and went deeper and deeper into the forest until we could no further by car.

It was only a short run through the trees to the venue. The path had been cleared of snow and it led up a large hillside to a flat patch of land that overlooked the mountains. It was breathtaking, the view. I believe it's impossible to understand the vastness of Alaska until you're standing on top of it looking down.

Alice's hand was obvious here. What was once a desolate flat space was no free from all evidence of snow and decorated beyond belief. White flowers lined the path between the chairs and ended at an arch made of branches and twigs, peppered with more white flowers. There were more people here than I expected but they apparently hadn't been staying with the Denalis. The only two in the mix that I recognized were Mary, a tall woman with thick, curly hair, and Randall, a younger man with a striking jaw line. They'd both come to testify for me and, from their attachment, started a relationship of their own. Great. Another couple to be around.

I stood awkwardly, almost hiding behind my dad. Being around so many people wasn't necessarily my favorite thing in the world and many of them kept glancing my direction. Surely a full vampire could make out the conversations going on, but I couldn't. I could hear every conversation, but I couldn't hear any one well enough to follow. The word hybrid came up several times in several conversations which wasn't helping. After a moment, my mother appeared at my side, her eyes almost as wide as Alice's were earlier.

"She wasn't kidding," She gasped, leaning in to kiss my forehead. "You look fantastic, EJ."

"Me?" I asked, eyeing her. My mom was simple. Hoodies, jeans, a jacket and she always looked good. Today, though, she looked like true divinity. Her hair was curled and swooped to one side and her dress, the same color as Alice's, draped like a conscious waterfall down to her feet. "Look at you!"

"Rosalie." She motioned to herself. If even I noticed how beautiful my family was, I can't imagine being an outsider looking in.

My parents embraced for a moment, exchanged compliments, and we stood in conversation with ourselves. I was happy to have both of them now, distracting attention away from just me. As we stood, Rosalie & Emmett came to join us, an unfamiliar couple following them.

"Edward, EJ," She beamed, her hair straight and flat against her head. "You both look lovely." We could play a game on how much I was going to hear that today. "Have you met Tobias & Antonia?"

"I don't believe so," My dad answered.

"Well now you have," The woman answered, her voice holding a heavy accent I didn't immediately recognize. Her hair was long, reaching just passed her shoulders and the palest blonde I'd ever seen. "Antonia." She made every letter of her name important as she offered her hand to my dad. "This is my husband, Tobias."

Tobias had dark hair and darker features. You know the kind of image you immediately conjure when you hear Dracula's name? That's exactly what he looked like. "Örvendek." He greeted and I established they were from somewhere in central Europe.

"Edward," He replied, releasing her hand. "and this is my family." He motioned to my mother and I, his arm lacing around her waist. "My wife Bella," She greeted them and then the introductions moved to me. In perfect union their eyes fell on me, each set a striking crimson tone that shimmer in the cold light. "And this is our son, EJ."

"We've definitely heard about you." Antonia spoke. It sounded like she meant it as a compliment.

"It's, uh, nice to meet you." I managed, offering a toothless smile.

"No need to be shy, child." Tobias's English was heavily accented, more so than Antonia's. "You are among friends." It was odd that his comment actually comforted me.

"You're much taller than we expected," Antonia admitted. "When we heard claims of a hybrid that looked like an immortal child," Her tone shifted, realizing she'd mentioned something that maybe shouldn't have been brought up, but she continued. "You can imagine what we expected." Tobias nodded in agreement.

"All the details must not have reached you," Rosalie piped in. "You spend so much time moving around it's amazing we were able to find you to invite you."

Antonia explained she and Tobias were nomads in Europe they'd met Tanya, Kate, & Irina during their journeys to find a better life. Antonia was a granddaughter of a Holy Roman Emperor during a period of widespread poverty. She lived a lavish lifestyle and wanted for nothing which rubbed the commoners around her the wrong way. When they rioted and planned to kill her to send a message, Tobias saved her and they haven't parted since. Tobias wasn't as forthcoming with his origins, but he did hint that he had spent some time with Stefan & Vladimir, the Romanians.

They, of course, had questions about me that my family answered. I stood near them, keeping quiet waiting for an opportunity to leave to present itself. Like a beautifully wrapped gift on Christmas, Alice appeared beneath the alter. "Can I have everyone's attention?" She spoke loud enough for everyone to hear her and the conversations all fell to silence. "She's ready." The excitement in her voice was clear to everyone and one by one everyone filled into their seats. Antonia & Tobias were a few seats behind us and Randall & Mary were seated on the other side of the aisle. The rest of the seats were filled with people I hadn't met yet. Grandpa Carlisle took his place behind the alter, as he was officiating the wedding. Fred and Eleazar came up the aisle first, each standing on the right of the alter before the music started to play out of speakers they'd hidden fairly well in the mix of flowers. Carmen walked slowly, followed by Kate before everyone stood in unison. As everyone turned, Kate made her appearance. Her dress was a stunning white trumpet gown and her long hair was draped behind her, a thin veil laying on top of it.

The actual ceremony only lasted about thirty minutes. Grandpa Carlisle recited his parts, the couple said their vows, their I dos, and they shared their first kiss. The crowd applauded them and they made their way back down the aisle, the bridesmaids and groomsmen following. The reception took place at a house not far from the wedding venue. It was just as secluded as their other home, but slightly smaller.

For hours on end, people stood around talking and congratulating the new couple. I met almost everyone in attendance, all of them looking at me with the same curious gaze. The only people who seemed to be entirely caught up on everything were Nico & Hestia, a couple from Greece. They were apparently the closest vampires to Volterra that were not actually part of the guard so they kept tabs on the coven to keep themselves safe. They were pleasant enough but I still didn't like the way I felt like a museum exhibit.

The sun had long been gone and it was closing in on 3 AM. I was sat a table with Carmen & Grandma Esme. They were talking about weddings and how they always bring people together and I was bored out of my mind, fighting for consciousness. It hadn't been a taxing day, but it'd been long. I covered my mouth and yawned, trying to be as quiet as I could since it was a noise that would easily draw attention.

"Getting tired?" Carmen asked, her smile warm as it curved around her perfect teeth. She'd been dressed and active longer than I had and there still was no sign of any time lapse on her dress or hair. She could say she just got ready and no one would question her.

"I suppose it's rather late," My grandma added, reaching across to pat my hand. When her fingers connected with mine, I let her see an image of me sprawled out over my bed at home, snoring loud enough to suck the paint off the ceiling. She laughed and it sounded like angels singing. "We can go soon. I'm sure Garrett & Kate around going to need some alone time eventually."

Carmen laughed, shaking her head. "Trust me, they don't mind company around."

"Sounds like another couple I know." Esme's eyes moved to Emmett who had Rosalie perched on his lap. They both laughed again and their unified laughter could have cured any terminal illness.

My dad had apparently been listening in, like he always did, because he and mom came strolling in from the next room hand in hand. "Are you ready?" He asked me, coming to a stop near our table.

I nodded vigorously and stood to join them. I hugged my grandma and then Carmen, thanking her for the bed last night. She assured me it was no problem and we said the rest of our goodbyes. We piled into my dad's Volvo and started the drive back home. I loosened my tie and threw my blazer into the empty seat beside me. I relaxed into the leather seats and watched the scenery pass outside the window before I broke the silence in the car. "Hey, Dad," I started. "What did Aunt Alice see last night?"

"Did Alice see something?" My mom asked, her head turning to him.

"It was nothing." He answered both of us. "She's not sure what it was and I'm not either. It was a man in all black, I didn't recognize him."

"Did you see him at the wedding?" She asked, an apparent concern in her voice.

"No," He exhaled lightly. "But I did check."

"So he's still coming?"

"It's hard to tell. Even if he is, we definitely out number him," I wasn't looking, but I heard his hand move to hers. "Plus, she hasn't seen anything about him since last night."

I heard her thumb move over his and the conversation ended there. As I leaned against the back seat, my head was against the window watching the snow capped trees. Whoever he was, he wasn't at the forefront of my mind. As we drove through the quiet, early morning my mind drifted back to the possibilities of normalcy. I could go to school, I could play sports, I could meet someone. I could experience a full portion of life before I froze in my twenties, as Nahuel & his sisters made it apparent that was when my aging would stop. The same thoughts that crossed my mind the night before were back in different variations and until I found myself against the window.


End file.
